Who is Oscar Perone? Oscar is a bee keeper from Argentina. His web site is in Spanish and google translate helps it is still a rough read. People are working on getting his book and website up in English. A google search for permapiculture or Oscare Perone should get you there

What are the slats for? They are a comb grid. This method of beekeeping would have to be conducted as an experiment/experimental in the USA. Basically the hive/brood chamber(the lower section and one honey box is left solely to the bees to be bees. The top three honey boxes are what is harvested when they are full and placed back on. The harvest includes cutting the comb. You can do a you tube search for automatic hive. Two brits explain the concept(albeit they seem a little under informed) enough to gain an under standing

How do you know the timber hasn't been treated? I don't in fact I think it has. Not Ideal. My hope is that it is so weathered and decomposed that any toxic level of toxins has leached out. It is just a proto type and free was the key component

I was unable to populate the hive by "prime swarm" which is the preferred method. I have just installed a 3# package to see what happens. So far they have not absconded. I have released the queen and secured the "bee part" to allow the queen to make her colony. I will monitor progress and feed if absolutely necessary. Once the bees are in the "bee part" it is suggested never to open that area. I will be able to see in from above through the comb grid. I am too far north for the Africanized bee